Garment bag frame



J, 29, 1957 w. COHEN GARMENT BAG FRAME Filed July 28, 1953 INVENTORW/LL/AM COHEN BY Z ATTORN E5 2,779,479 GARMENT BAG FRAME.

William Cohen, New York, N. Y.

Application July 28, 1953, Serial No. 370,765

1 Claim. (Cl. 211-119) This invention relates generally to garment bags,and is particularly directed to garment bag frames.

The particular embodiment of the present invention, which is illustratedin the drawings and which will be described hereinafter in greaterdetail, comprises generally garment bag spreading members, a garmenthanger support secured to the bag spreading members, a swivel on thegarment hanger support, and suspension means on the swivel forsupporting the garment bag and frame from an overhead support.

It is a principal object of the present invention to provide an improvedgarment bag frame construction which is provided with means forattachment to both a carrying handle and a suspension hanger forsupporting the garment bag and contents thereof.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a garment bagframe of the type described which may inexpensively be manufactured fromstock materials without cutting or punching operations.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide a garmentbag frame having the characteristics mentioned in the foregoingparagraphs and which is provided with a highly improved swivelconstruction rotatably mounted on the garment hanger support and adaptedto afford a maximum of movement with a minimum of garment bag opening.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a garment bagframe including a garment hanger support and swivel which is extremelysimple in construction and durable in operatiomwhich is effective forits intended purposes, and which can be manufactured and sold at areasonable cost.

Other objects of the present invention will become apparent upon readingthe following specification and referring to the accompanying drawings,which form a material part of this disclosure.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction,combinations of elements, and arrangements of parts, which will beexemplified in the construction hereinafter described, and of which thescope will be indicated by the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a partial, top perspective view showing a garmerit bagemploying a frame constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a partial, top perspective view, showing a garment bag frameconstructed in accordance with the present invention.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 3-3 ofFig. i.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 4-4 ofFig. 3.

Fig. 5 is an exploded view showing the swivel construction of thepresent invention.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, the embodiment of theinvention illustrated therein comprises a garment bag, generallydesignated 10, and a garment nite Sums Pawn: O

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bag frame, generally designated 11, and adapted to be positionedinteriorly of the garment bag.

The garment bag is fabricated of any suitable flexible material andincludes a top panel 12 of substantially rectangular configuration, endpanels 13, and side panels 14. The top panel 12 is formed with a centralopening 15 which is surrounded by a grommet or eyelet 16. On oppositesides of the opening 16, the top panel 12 is formed with through slotsor openings 17 and 18 adjacent to the side panels 14. The openings 17and 18 are preferably beaded along their edges as at 19 and 20.

The garment bag frame 11 includes a generally rectangular spreaderelement having parallel spaced end members 26 (only one being shown, seeFig. 2) and parallel spaced side members 27 and 28 extending between theend members. The bag spreading element 25 is adapted to underlie. thegarment bag top panel 12 to retain. the latter in extended,substantially flat condition and space the bag sides 14 and ends 13 awayfrom each other. While the garment bag spreading element is preferablyfabricated of a single length of wire stock, any suitable means ofconstruction may be employed. Centrally of the side members 27 and 28,there are formed oppositely disposed, depressed portions 29 and 30 for apurpose appearing hereinafter.

Extending between the side spreader members 2'7 and 28, in the region ofthe depressed portions 29 and 30, is a garment hanger support, generallydesignated 32. The garment hanger support includes a corrugated wireportion 33 extending transversely of and spaced below the side spreadermembers 27 and 28. Extending upwardly from opposite ends of thecorrugated wire portion 33 are wire portions 34 and 35. The upwardlyextending wire portion 34 is bent outwardly at 36 and looped over thedepressed side member portion 29 as at 37. Similarly, the upwardlyextending wire portion is bent outwardly as at 38 and looped over theadjacent depressed side member portion 30 as at 39. The loops 37 and 39snugly and firmly embrace the depressed portions 29 and 30,respectively, to substantially rigidly secure the corrugated wireportion 33 to the bagspreading members 27 and 28. From the loop 37, awire portion 40 extends toward. the remote spreader member 23, curvingoutwardly at 41 between the side spreading members 27 and 28 and havingits end portion bent to form an upstanding eye 42 adjacent. to thedepressed portion 30. Similarly, a wire portion 44 extends from the loop39 toward the remote spreading member 27, curving outwardly at 45adjacent to the outwardly curved portion 41, and having its end portionbent to form an upstanding eye 46 adjacent to the depressed side memberportion 29. The oppositely extending wire portions 40 and 44 are, forthe most part, in side by side abutting relation and may be fixedlysecured together by any ap propriate means, such as welding or the like.

Stated otherwise, the garment hanger support 32 comprises a singlestrand of wire stock having one end portion bent to form an upstandingeye 42 adjacent to the de pressed spreading member portion 30, thenceextending toward the depressed spreading member portion 29, curvingoutwardly as at 41, and snugly looping over the depressed portion 29 asat 3'']. The wire strand is then bent downwardly at 36 to form 21depending portion 34 which merges with the transversely extendingcorrugated portion 33 at one end of the latter. On the other end of thecorrugated portion 33 is formed an upstanding portion 35, bent outwardlyat 38 and tightly looped over the depressed member portion 30 as at 39.The loop 39 is formed with a transverse extention 44 which is curvedoutwardly at 45, opposite to the curved portion 41 and extends in sideby side relation with the portion 40 whence it is bent to form theupstanding eye 46. Thus, it is now apparent that the garment hangersupport 32 may be formed of a single strand of wire by simple bendingoperations, the usual cutting and punching operations being completelyeliminated.

The oppositely curved wire portions 41 and 45 are disposed adjacent toand below the top panel aperture 15 and serve to form an opening 48 inregistry with the top panel aperture. In this manner the garment hangersupport 32 is adapted to rotatably receive a swivel, generallydesignated 50.

The swivel 50 includes a tubular member 51 having a plurality oflongitudinally extending spaced legs 52 on one end. On the other end ofthe tubular member 51 is formed a bail or yoke 53 which combines withthe tubular member to provide an eye. A pair of plates or discs 54 and55 are each provided with through slots or apertures 56 and 57 adaptedto conformably receive the legs 52. In assembly, the plate 54 ispositioned on the tubular member 51 with the legs 52 inserted throughthe apertures 56, the plate abutting against the shoulders 53 defined bythe spaces intermediate the legs. The tubular member is then insertedthrough the opening 48 with its legs 52 extending toward the corrugatedwire portion 33. The plate 55 is then arranged with the legs 52 insertedthrough the slots 57, and the free ends of the legs upset against theundersurface of the plate 55. It will now be observed that the plate 54engages the upper surface of the wire portions 41 and 45 and the plate55 engages the undersurface of said wire portions. As the wire portions41 and 45 are substantially horizontal when in use, and as the plates 54and 55 are slidably engageable with the wire portions, 'it will be seenthat the tubular member 51 is mounted for 360 of rotative movement aboutthe axis of the tubular 5 member.

Extending loosely through the bail 53 of the tubular member 51 is an eye59 of the hanger 60. Thus-, t he hanger 60 is mounted for rotativemovement aboutthe vertical axis of the tubular member 51, and rotativemovement about a horizontal axis extending through the bail 53.

In operation, the hanger 60 is suspended from an overhead support, andin turn supports the frame 11, garment bag 10 and any garments which maybe suspended on the wire garment hanger supporting member 33. As garmentbags of this general character are used under a wide variety ofconditions, for example, as luggage, car bags, and storage bags, theflexibility of movement of the hanger 60 is well adapted to accommodatefor widely differing conditions of use. The flexibility of movement ofthe hanger 60 does not cause the garment bag to open or distort. As bestseen in Fig. 3, the grommet 16 closely surrounds the tubular member 51to completely close the opening 15 and permit swiveling of the tubularmember without admitting dust or other foreign material to the interiorof the bag.

As best shown in Fig. 1, the eyes 42 and 46 extend upwardly through thegarment bag apertures 18 and 17, respectively, and are there adapted forconnection to a handle 61, shown in dot and dash outline. Thisconstruction permits ready conversion of the bag for use as luggage. Inaddition, as the loops 37 and 39 embrace the recessed portions 29 and30, the loops are spaced from the eyes 42 and 46 to prevent obstructionthereof and present a smooth top panel 12.

From the foregoing, it is seen that the present invention fullyaccomplishes its intended objects and is well adapted to meet practicalconditions of use.

Although the present invention has been described in some detail by wayof illustration and example for purposes of clarity of understanding, itis understood that certain changes and modifications may be made Withinthe spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is:

In a garment bag frame having a pair of parallel spaced bag-spreadingmembers, a garment hanger support extending between and secured to saidspreading members, said garment hanger support comprising a singlestrand of wire having a central portion disposed below saidbag-spreading members for supporting garment hangers, the end portionsof said wire each extending upwardly and snugly over its adjacentbag-spreading member and thence laterally toward the distalbag-spreading member, said laterally extending wire portions being inside-by-side relation except for an intermediate portion which is spacedapart to form a circular opening for rotatively receiving a swivel, eachof said wire portions terminating in an upstanding reentrantly bent loopfor receiving the ends of a handle.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS304,857 Reichardt Sept. 9, 1884 515,023 Salathe Feb. 20, 1894 637,122Isachson Nov. 14, 1899 2,150,074 McLure Mar. 7, 1939 2,318,119 WesthaverMay 4, 1943 2,350,901 Johnston June 6, 1944 2,554,483 Corwin May 29,1951 2,644,589 Levine July 7, 1953 2,670,854 Einhorn Mar. 2, 1954

